Automatic weir-gage.



G."BARZEE 8:- G. LWAHLQUIST.

AUTOMATIC WEIR GAGE. APPLICATION TILED we, 29, 1912.

- Patentd Sept.9,1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

amewtow G.Barzee and G J Wahlguisi,

attorneys We; 3A5 ag G. BARZEE & C. J. WAHLQUIST. AUTOMATIC WEIR GAGE. APPLICATION FILED AUG, 29. 1912.

1,072,901 Patented Sept. 9, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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GEORGE BARZEE AND CHARLES J'. WAHLQUIST, 0F HEBER, UTAH.

'AUTOMATIC VVEIR-G-AGE.

Specification of Letters Fatent.

PatentedSept. am a.

' Application filed August 2%), 1312. Serial No. 717,775.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that we, GEORGE BARZEE and CHARLES J. lVAHLoUIsr, citizens of the United States, residing at Heber city, in the county of lVasatch and State of Utah, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic VVeir-Gages; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertiins to make and use the same.

.This invention relates to measuring instruinent-s, and more especially to gages for indicating the depth and the volume of water passing a given point and the object of the sameis to produce a gage of this kind by means of which the water passing out of a measuring weir is gaged in such manner that its bulk in cubic feet per second is indicated constantly on the face of the instrument.

This object is carried out by constructing the device in the manner hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and as shown in the drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a plan view showing the lower portion of a canal and the upper edge of a weir, and the disposition of our instrument and the means for supporting it; Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section on the line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an elevation looking up stream toward the weir or dam and the instrument forming the subject matter of this application; Fig, 4: is an enlarged elevation of the upper end of the supporting post and the parts carried thereby, the pipe being in section; Figs. 5,6 and 7 are cross sections on the lines 55, 66, and 7-7 of Fig, 4.

In the drawings the letter- O designates a canal or race, herein shown as built of timbers T, leading to a dam or weir W having an outlet opening 0 through which the water-flows from the weir when it rises to a sufficient height to pass over the edge E. N o novelty is claimed for these parts, but the purpose of the present invention is to measure the volume of the water passin out said opening, and we have illustrated said parts for the purpose of showing how our instrument is mounted with relation to them. i

Coming now more particularly to" the cletails of the present invention, the numeral 1 designates a post mounted in the canal or supported by the timbers, and preferably braced as at 2 in any suitable way, the post being disposed from two to six feet up stream above the weir "vV so that it shall stand in the water at'a point where the water level has not been seriously or at all affected by the increase of current which takes place as it approaches the opening 0, and the face of this post near its lower portion where it projects above the water even at low level, is grooved vertically as at 3. In said groove is mounted the upper leg 5 of a siphonpipe 6, as by means of clips 7 or otherwise, which leg extends straight downward for about two or three feet, then bends to one side in a semi-circle as at 8, and then rises vertically in a short leg 9 about six inches long; and it is essential to the invention that the upper open end of the short leg shall stand flush with the edge E of the opening 0 in the weir W', or in other words on a line with the water level in the weir when said water is not running out. The upper end of the long leg 5 is closed by a cap 10 held thereon by threads 11 or otherwise, and pierced with a central hole 12.

Within the siphon pipe 6 is a float 13 of cork or light buoyant substance, secured to the lower end of a stem 14 which itself should also be light as by being made tubular and possibly of aluminum, and this stem extends upward through the hole 12 and can ries at its upper extremity two radially proj ecting indexes 15 and 16 moving over scales 17 and 18 marked on metal plates 19 which are securedto the face oflthe post 1. One of these scales is marked with inches and fractions thereof to indicate the depth of the water, and the other scale is graduated like the first but its graduations are marked differently to indicate cubic feet and parts thereof per second of time so that it shall designate the volumeof water passing out the opening 0. Obviously said opening must be made to correspond with; this scale, 'or vice versa; whereas depth is merely a matter of inches. Finally, we preferably provide a hinged door 20 secured to the face of the post and having a glass panel to cover the scales, so as to protect the indicating parts of this device from the elements; and this door maybe fastened closed by means of a screw or by-a latch of any kind not necessary to describe.

The float 13 should fit slidably within the siphon pipe 6, and the stem 14 should fit slidably through the hole 12 in the cap 10; or if these two guides are not suflicient to steady the stem as it rises and falls, we

may provide another guide consisting of a metallic member 21 having its extremities secured to the face of the support 1 as by means of screws 22 and its center 23 arched outward from said face and around the stem 14. Behind the latter a screw 24 is inserted in the face of the support 1, the

screw having a dished head 25 past which the stem rises and falls. Through the center of the arch there passes a set screw 26 on whose inner end is swiveled a block 27 also having a dished face 28 past which the 1 stem 14 moves. It is obvious that by turning the set screw the two members of this guide may be caused to more nearly appreach the stem 14 so that the latter is re liably guided in its vertical movements.

' In act-ion the water flows into the inlet end of the short leg of the-siphon pipe 6, through the bend 8, and rises to a level in the long leg 5 which is at a height equal to that of the inlet end of the short leg; and the plates 19 should be so set on the support that at this time the float 13 rests on the water level within the long leg and the two indexes 15 and 16 stand at the zero points on the scales. When now the water level falls within the weir, the water Within the bend 8 of the siphon pipe 6 cannot escape and therefore the indicating device does not register less than zero. But when the water within the weir rises, it flows into the inlet end of the short leg of the siphon pipe and rises equally within the long leg thereof, and this causes the rise of the float 13, stem 14, and the two indexes, each of which performs its function in connection with its respective scale in a manner which will be clear. As before suggested, we would not place the support 1 and this device so near the outlet 0 through the weir that the water level would be affected by its falling as it rushes outward as is well known; We purposely dispose the inlet end of the short leg of the siphon pipe upward, for it is obvious that if it were directed horizontally up stream the current of the water flowing through the canal C to the weir would cause the water in the long leg 5 to rise a little higher than the true level of the water in the'weir; and on the other hand if the inlet end were disposed down stream, there might be a certain suction which would cause the level of the water in the long leg to be a little too low to register accurately. Nor would we care to dispose the inlet end laterally of the current, and in fact we believe the proper direction is vertical as shown and described. Ve may dispense with the third guide for the stem, best illustrated in Fig. 6, if the others are found sufficient; and in some places it may be thought unnecessary to provide any door or protection for the scales and indexes.

Ne do not wish to be confined to the use.

of a post, as this device might be mounted on any part of the timber work of which such a weir is usually built. Nor do we wish to be confined to theprecise details and materials of parts, and latitude must be allowed us in that respect.

, lVhat is claimed as new is 1. In a device of the class described, the combination with an upright post having a graduated plate secured to its upper portion and a groove in its face at its lower portion,

an upright pipe seated in said groove, a

float movable in said pipe, and a stem rising from said float and'passing slidably through said pipe; of a guide between said pipe and the graduated plate, a screw in the face of the support behind said stem, a set screw through the guide forward of the stem, and an index at the upper end of the stem moving over said graduated plate.

2. In a device of the class described, the

combination with an upright stem having a float; of a support having a graduated plate, an index on the stem moving over said graduation, and a guide consisting of a metallic member whose extremities are secured to the face of said support and whose inter mediate portion is arched over said stem, a screw seated in the face of said support behind the stem and having a dished head, a set screw threaded through said arched portion, and a block swiveled on the inner end of the set screw and having a dished face next said stem.

3. In a device of'the class described, the combination with an upright post having'a' graduated platesecured to its upper portion and a groove in its face at its lower ortion an u right i e seated in .said P P P groove, clips for holding said pipe in place, V

afloat movable in said pipe, and a stem rising from said float and passing slidably through said pipe; of an index at theupper end of the stem moving over said graduated plate, and 'a door hmged to the post and having a glass panel covermg said plate. 7

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE BAR-ZEE;

CHARLES J. wAHLo'uIs'r,

WVitnesses CHAS. BROADBENT, Jos. A. Munnoox.

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